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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-03-10
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Spokesman's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Parole 10/03/2000b
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Mr. Poul Nielson, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian
AidSpeech toRegional Authorities and Humanitarian Agencies At the Lukole
Refugee Camp, Ngara District 8 March 2000
[02] Arrangements being made by US to improve export situation of meat and
meat products into the EU satisfactory
[03] Information campaign for the EU system of beef labelling
[04] Aviation fuel taxation: Commission calls for rapid adoption of energy
tax proposal
[05] Outcome of the meeting of the Regulatory Committee on GMO-approvals
[01] Mr. Poul Nielson, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian
AidSpeech toRegional Authorities and Humanitarian Agencies At the Lukole
Refugee Camp, Ngara District 8 March 2000
The visiting EU Commissioner Mr. Poul Nielson made a speech at Lukole Camp
to a meeting, which included the Kagera Regional Commissioner, General
(Rtd) Tumanieli Kiwelu, Ngara District Commissioner Mr. D. Mtambalike,
Members of Parliament as well as the resident representatives of UNHCR, WFP,
UNICEF, International Red Cross and several other international
organisations and NGOs.
[02] Arrangements being made by US to improve export situation of meat and
meat products into the EU satisfactory
The Standing Veterinary Committee accepted today measures being taken by
the United States of America to improve the monitoring programme to test
for unauthorised substances and residue levels exceeding the Community
maximum residue limits for authorised medicinal veterinary products in
fresh meat and meat products.
[03] Information campaign for the EU system of beef labelling
The European Commission has decided to finance in all Member States except
the United Kingdom programmes for publicity measures which are intended to
inform the European consumers of the guarantees the Community system for
labelling of beef and veal products offers. According to the decision,
these measures will be implemented this year with an overall cost of
approximately euro 6.8 million. The publicity measures are financed by the
Commission at 100%.
[04] Aviation fuel taxation: Commission calls for rapid adoption of energy
tax proposal
The taxation of air travel should be more closely aligned on the
environmental costs of air travel (including air pollution, smog formation,
acid rain, climate change, high altitude water emissions and ozone
depletion), according to a Communication adopted by the European
Commission. It therefore recommends that a 1997 proposal for a Directive on
the taxation of energy products should be adopted by the EU's Council of
Ministers as soon as possible so as to permit Member States to levy taxes
on commercial aviation fuel used on domestic flights, and subject to bi-
lateral Air Service Agreements (ASAs), on flights between Member States
(both EU and non-EU carriers). It also recommends that Member States, in
close co-operation with the Commission, should also intensify their work
within the framework of the International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO) for the general introduction of taxation of aviation fuel at the
world level. The Communication is based on the results of an independent
study undertaken for the Commission
[05] Outcome of the meeting of the Regulatory Committee on GMO-approvals
The Regulatory Committee of the Member States, established under Article 21
of the Council Directive 90/220/EEC, met yesterday in Brussels to look at
three applications concerning the placing on the market of genetically
modified products two swede-rapes and one fodder beet. The Member States
concluded that it would not be wise to take a decision on the draft
measures at this time, in view of the further additional information
submitted by the notifiers since the previous meeting on 29 October 1999
and in view of the need to clarify the scope of the notifications, in
particular for the two swede rapes. Member States unanimously agreed that
the vote should be postponed. The Committee expressed the need to further
clarify a number of technical questions raised on all three dossiers by
Member States and in particular the scope for the two swede-rape
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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